1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to telephone paystations and more particularly to a lock protector assembly for use with the lock intended in the upper housing of a telephone paystation.
2. Background Art
A substantial portion of both the deregulated and regulated paystation industry have utilized in the instruments they manufacture housings of the type that have been manufactured for many years by such organizations as AT&T, GTE and Palco Telecom. It has been generally found that such housings include adequate security measures. However, in some locations telephone companies or other users have found that the security of the upper housings of telephone units have become a problem. Companies which have high investments in upper housings and "smart" circuit cards included in the housings are being victimized by break-ins. Strong desire exists on the part of such companies or other users to protect their investment in the telephone instruments as well as the coinage that may have been deposited in the telephone instruments and of course the included technology in the telephone instrument.
The particular type of break-in usually of concern is by entry through the sheet metal skin of the upper housing by filing, drilling, or chiseling and by use of further destructive techniques to break or unlock the upper housing lock. As noted, sometimes the target is the electronics and sometimes it is the pilferage of the actual coinage that has been deposited in the vault of the telephone paystation. This may be accessed through an opening in the top of the vault by way of the upper housing.
At least one suggestion to overcome the problem was the use of a heavy metal plate welded to the exterior of the upper housing coupled with another heavy plate assembled to the inside of the housing. While the resultant change in the telephone presents a rather imposing appearance, such items do not actually offer protection commensurate with the additional cost. This arrangement includes an extra layer of metal to go through. Once this is accomplished there is still the open space around the lock assembly. Also, the paystation lock, lock cam and lock bolt do not receive any extra internal support. The suggested arrangement was also not field installable since the exterior plate is welded to the upper housing. This arrangement also requires the addition of a new faceplate and the appearance thus is altered so that it tips off any individual that the particular paystation does include indeed the additional extra protection. Thus the design and the net result is of a generally unacceptable standard which does not meed "user friendly" appearance.